Album Review: Lauren Mayberry - 'Vicious Creature'
A thread of contradictions runs through Lauren Mayberry’s debut solo record ‘Vicious Creature’, a love letter to her female influences in music, past and present.
It is pop like Chvrches whilst also being distinctly different and with a fresh perspective. With the Scottish band on a loose hiatus, Lauren turned the roughly 40 songs she wrote for the album into 12 tracks that zig-and-zag at every turn, while remaining consistent in quality.
An air sign, Libra Lauren aptly starts her solo venture with recent single ‘Something In The Air’. The mega tune with a 90s girl-group vibe was inspired by a Britpop singer who was spouting conspiracy theorist nonsense in the studio kitchen. Going it alone just means new collaborators for Lauren - ‘Something In The Air’ is the first of many co-creations with her friend and producer Dan McDougall, who was central to the process, and a man she defined as “a great Swiss Army knife of a creator”.
Dan stepped in when another writing icon, Matthew Koma, could not commit to completely working on the record. Still, the Winnetka Bowling League star was encouraging at the start, setting up useful connections. He was a co-writer on the 80s-esque anthem ‘Crocodile Tears’, alongside Ethan Gruska, and the defiant ‘Shame’ with Caroline Pennell, a rare female co-writer on an album coursing with the energy of independent women.
‘Crocodile Tears’ has storytelling rich with character, as Lauren ditches the concept of being “nice” with pounding synths married with gritty lyrics as she sings: "Maybe I’m a villain but I find it kind of thrilling when you cry." There’s something exceptional about her ability to fit ‘valediction’ into a pop song without sounding insane. Conversely, the dynamic construction of ‘Shame’ is led with Lauren’s dark vocals as she offers a release with something so personal.
It swerves back and forth, showing the versatile work of Lauren and “lyrics bitch” Dan. The chaotic pop-rock of ‘Punch Drunk’ showcases another side, driving a little faster, as she argues “It’s been perfect, it’s been hell” and “It makes me sick and I hope it never ends.” It’s a little slice of energy sandwiched between quieter, more understated moments. ‘Anywhere But Dancing’ is an acoustic guitar moment which feels like ‘I’m With You’, the Avril classic Chvrches covered in 2021, while ‘Oh Mother’ is an unexpected piano ballad with some of Lauren’s most personal lyrics, informed by family illness. "Headphones in, I know you hate this song / And you call to me when I’m already gone / Oh Mother, I could do without you."
Every noise twists somewhere new. She honours the icons of her youth - “my friends who live in my headphones” as she explains it – in their various capacities. ‘Sorry, Etc’ is joyful and cynical, fun and frantic, a riot grrrl fused release with a different 90s ferocity which channels Kathleen Hanna as Lauren shouts: “I sold my soul to be one of the boys”. The pulsing track also features Chvrches’ long-time FOH engineer Paul Gallagher on bass, fusing past, present and future.
‘Change Shapes’ has infectious Sugababes energy, as Lauren buoyantly sings: “I change shapes til I get what I need from you”, the edge bursting through the pure sugar pop as she counters her own point - “But you never do”. Meanwhile ‘Mantra’ is twined with ‘Crocodile Tears’, with more sounds reminiscent of the 80s work of Depeche Mode, courtesy of Mayberry, Koma and Gruska.
The album title comes from ‘A Work of Fiction’: “Nostalgia is such a vicious creature, another way to say that you fear the future”. It’s another, more intricate idea, which picks up speed and energy, a little like Imogen Heap, another pop girl who shifted from Frou Frou to her solo work.
The final two tracks utilise more star writers. ‘Sunday Best’, a cinematic song about seeking hope when struggling with grief, was written with Greg Kurstin. He previously worked with Mayberry on the Chvrches record ‘Love Is Dead’, while bringing his work with Kylie and All Saints to the table – so he got all Lauren’s references as they teamed up in the studio. Meanwhile, Lauren’s first solo single ‘Are You Awake?’ closes the album. It was penned with Koma and Tobias Jesso, Jr. the first-ever GRAMMY winner for Songwriter Of The Year after his sterling work with all kinds of big names. The tender piano ballad is about the loneliness that can come with being on the road, one final twist that perfectly represents the journey of Lauren Mayberry’s first solo album: “If they don’t love you, you’re just destined to disappoint.”
‘Vicious Creature’ gets under your skin, with multiple layers, many nods to history, and brimming with star quality. Something so personal was bound to be multi-dimensional, and it showcases Lauren’s independence while utilising her strengths of voice and story.
“All the greatest stories have been in black and white”, Lauren sings in the gorgeous ‘Anywhere But Dancing’. This album is full of creatures in a myriad of colours, some vicious, some softer, but all singing in their own way.
Words by Samuel Draper
